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		Letters to Editor January 9, 2002 Text © Dean Woodbeck 2002 Published with Permission

Trail users ask Hancock to reconsider Swedetown Creek proposal

January 8, 2002

HANCOCK -- Outdoor enthusiasts who use the Maasto Hiihto trail system have asked the Hancock City Council to reconsider the vote against applying for a grant to purchase the land along Swedetown Creek. They are backing it up with their pocketbooks.

This year's improvements on the Maasto Hiihto cross-country ski trails include a gradual descent into the ravine and a longer stretch of striding trail along Swedetown Creek, seen here with late-afternoon reflections. (January 2002 photo by Michele Anderson)

The grant program, operated by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), requires that a local unit of government apply for the grant. The original grant application included a $44,000 "in-kind" contribution by the city -- basically some DPW (Department of Public Works) employee and equipment time during parts of two summers.

A majority of the city council felt that this would spread the DPW too thin. So, hikers, bicyclists, skiers and other trail users are providing that funding. If we are successful with the grant and with property negotiations, Hancock will have a wonderful recreation area.

The grant application, which would be a partnership between the city and the Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club, calls for creation of the Swedetown Creek Nature Corridor. It would include about two and a half miles of land along the creek and the surrounding gorge.

The creek and gorge form the heart of the Maasto Hiihto trail system, a multi-use recreational area that is currently on private land.

The city of Hancock is clearly growing in the direction of the trail system. We believe that Maasto Hiihto enhances the quality of life in the city and should be protected. In the end, this will help the city attract residents and provide a healthy balance with development plans.

Sincerely,

Dean Woodbeck

Editor's Note: Anyone who wishes to make a contribution toward the grant can contact Dean Woodbeck, spokesperson for the Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club, at (906) 487-3327. In an email update on Jan. 9, Woodbeck notes that individuals and at least one conservation group have pledged  $40,600, which is close to the $44,000 originally requested of the city. The Hancock City Council meets again at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 16, in the Council Chambers, City Hall, 399 Quincy St. in Hancock. See the Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club Web site for the latest news about cross-country ski trails and races, including the Heikinpäivä Hiihto Race to be held Jan. 19, 2002, at Maasto Hiihto.

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